William Henry Russell
William Henry Russell was a Catholic priest, educator, and publisher in the early twentieth century. His collection includes grade books, personal and professional correspondence, and manuscripts and publishing information.
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The American Catholic Research Center and University Archives
1913-1953
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Catholic University of America |
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University Libraries of CUA |
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index |
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William Henry Russell : An inventory of the William Henry Russell Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives |
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William Henry Russell : An inventory of the William Henry Russell Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives |
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William Henry Russell |
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William Henry Russell |
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William Henry Russell |
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William Henry Russell |
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William Henry Russell |
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1913-1953 |
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The American Catholic Research Center and University Archives |
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Archival Material |
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1.5 linear feet; 3 boxes |
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English |
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William Henry Russell was a Catholic priest, educator, and publisher in the early twentieth century. His collection includes grade books, personal and professional correspondence, and manuscripts and publishing information. |
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https://libraries.catholic.edu/special-collections/archives/collections/finding-aid.html |
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russell William Henry Russell An inventory of the William Henry Russell Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives Finding aid prepared by Lauren Kanne. The American Catholic Research Center and University Archives March 2011 101 LifeCycle InstituteThe Catholic University of AmericaWashington, D.C. 20064 Finding aid encoded by Lauren Kanne on March 2011 English Descriptive Summary The American Catholic Research Center and University Archives 1913-1953 William Henry Russell, August 3, 1895-July 2, 1953 William Henry Russell Papers 1.5 linear feet; 3 boxes William Henry Russell was a Catholic priest, educator, and publisher in the early twentieth century. His collection includes grade books, personal and professional correspondence, and manuscripts and publishing information. 68 English Biographical Note The Rt. Rev. Msgr. William Henry Russell was a priest, educator, and writer dedicated to making the Catholic message accessible to the average person. Russell was born in Mitchell, South Dakota on August 3, 1895, to Michael Henry Russell and Nora Kerby. His mother's early death and his father's financial troubles lead to William, his brother Edmund Paul, and his two sisters being cared for by his extended family, particularly their uncle, William Joseph Kerby. Under Kerby's financial, emotional, and spiritual influence, Russell was educated in Lawler, Iowa, at Mt. Carmel Parochial School, and Dubuque, Iowa at Loras College, before entering the Grand Seminary in Montreal in 1916. In December of 1919, he was ordained as a priest, and celebrated his first mass in Lawler, Iowa alongside his uncle. Immediately preceeding his ordination, Russell began his career as an educator. He was first sent back to his alma mater, Loras, first as a teacher, and then as a principal. A demanding and energetic teacher, he taught over twenty hours a week, coached varsity sports teams, and acted as the spiritual advisor for the school. Russell was invited to teach and study for his Doctorate at the Catholic University of America in 1931. He taught Religion and Religious Education at the university for the next twenty two years, and served as the head of the Department of Religious Education from 1951 until 1953. During his teaching career, Russell was actively engaged with his priestly duties, publishing efforts, and activism. He wrote and published six original titles, including the influential Chats With Jesus (1941, 1942, 1944), Jesus the Divine Teacher (1944), and Teaching the Christian Virtues (1952), along with a multitude of articles. He helped found and ran the Catholic Evidence Guild of DC for twenty years, an activist group that distributed literature and made weekly public speeches calling people towards the Catholic Church. He also helped found and acted as the first secretary for the William J. Kerby Foundation. Russell died on July 2, 1953, after suffering through years of ill health and multiple surgeries. He was buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, in the Catholic University's plot, in Washington, D.C. Scope and Contents The William Henry Russell Papers collection contains 1.5 linear feet of records focused on the professional career of the Right Reverend Monsignor Russell from 1913-1953. The collection consist mainly of correspondence, notes, articles, newspaper clippings, and professional documents associated with his publication and teaching career, along with materials and correspondence associated with his more traditional priestly duties and personal life. The collection is divided into six series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, CUA, Publications, Clippings Scrapbook, and Photographs. Series 1 (1913-1953) focuses on Russell's personal papers. Consisting primarily of correspondence with close friends and family members, this series holds letters from Russell's uncle, William Kerby, that span Russell's school years and early priesthood. Other materials included in this series are a school book of Greek syntax used by Russell, and the eulogy from his funeral. Series 2 (1917-1953) contains materials relating to Russell's multifaceted professional life. Consisting primarily of correspondence, brochures, and professional papers, this series spans from his earliest teaching days to his death. It includes original research into Catholic education programs, leadership paperwork for the Catholic Evidence Guild, professional marriage advisement, report cards and disciple letters from his early teaching career, certificates he earned, and literature from professional functions he attended. Series 3 (1922-1953), consists of paperwork and correspondence from Russell's tenure at the Catholic University of America, both as a student and as a faculty member. Along with his dissertation, this collection includes the official paperwork for his various appointments within the school, inner-faculty memos and correspondence, meeting notes and information for various professional organizations and committees, and a student record book. Series 4 (1926-1953) consists of notes, manuscripts, brochures, reference materials, correspondence with publishers, and royalty receipts from some of Russell's published works, including 'Chats with Jesus,' 'Christ the Leader,' and 'Jesus the Divine Teacher.'. Series 5 (n.d.) consists of pages of a dissembled scrapbook that Russell kept of newspaper clippings on Religion, Education, and History that interested him. Several articles in this collection directly influenced his published works, and spurred his later research interests. Series 6 (1936) consists of a single photograph of the Kerby-Russell extended family, taken in Elk Point, South Dakota, on August 2, 1936. The back of the portrait contains a list of the people pictured. Arrangement The William Henry Russell Papers consists of 6 Series: Series 1: Personal Papers, 1913-1953, Box 1 Series 2: Professional Papers, 1917-1953, Box 1 Series 3: The Catholic University of America (CUA), 1922-1953, Boxes 1-2 Series 4: Publications, 1926-1953, Box 2 Series 5: Clippings Scrapbook, n.d., Box 3 Series 6: Photographs, 1936, Box 3 Restrictions on Access None Related Material Kerby, William Joseph Papers William J. Kerby Foundation Records Index Terms This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms. Persons: Russell, William Henry Kerby, William Joseph Organizations: Catholic Evidence Guild Catholic University of America Loras College William J. Kerby Foundation Places: Dubuque, IO Lawler, IO Washington, D.C. Subjects: Catholic Education Education and culture Acquisition Information This collection was acquired in deposits by Russell between 1938 and 1944, and posthumously by his department at the Catholic University of America in 1953. Additional materials pertinent to this collection were obtained from the William Joseph Kerby Papers and the William J. Kerby Foundation Records. Processing Information Processing completed in March 2011 by Lauren Kanne. EAD markup completed in March 2011 by Lauren Kanne. Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: Personal Papers, 1913-1953 (1 Box) This series consists primarily of correspondence with close friends and family members, this including letters from Russell's uncle, William Kerby, that give significant insight into Russell's school years and early priesthood. 1 1 Eulogy, 1953 1 2 Greek Syntax, n.d. 1 3 Kerby, William Joseph, 1913-1938, n.d. 1 4 Leary, William, 1937-1938 1 5 Rice Family, 1930-1931, n.d. Series 2: Professional Papers, 1917-1953 (1 Box) This series consists primarily of correspondence, brochures, and professional papers. It includes original research into Catholic education programs, leadership paperwork for the Catholic Evidence Guild, professional marriage advisement, report cards and disciple letters from his early teaching career, certificates he earned, and literature from professional functions he attended. 1 6 Army Orientation Course, 1943 1 7 Cahill, Esther Marie, 1935-1936 1 8 Catholic Education Programs, 1944-1952 1 9 Catholic Evidence Guild, 1934-1951 1 10 Certificates, 1917, 1950, n.d. 1 11 Discipline and Recommendation Letters, 1930-1936 1 12 Ford, Benson, 1950 1 13 Hefron, Edward, 1946 1 14 Horan, Ellamay, 1932, 1943 1 15 Marriage Advisements, 1934-1948 1 16 Ryan, John K., 1952-1953 1 17 Student Records, 1923-1931 1 18 Washington Post, 1938-1939 Series 3: The Cathollic University of America (CUA), 1922-1953 (2 Boxes) This series consists of paperwork and correspondence from Russell's tenure at the Catholic University of America, both as a student and as a faculty member. 1 19 Alumni Association, 1940-1952 1 20 Appointments, 1941-1953 1 21 Catholic University Correspondence, 1922-1952 1 22 Dissertation, 1932-1934 1 23 Faculty Club, 1944 2 1 Letters from CUA Students, 1942, 1952 2 2 Priests and the University, 1946 2 3 Student Record Book, 1941-1947 Series 4: Publications, 1926-1953 (1 Box) This series consists of notes, manuscripts, brochures, reference materials, correspondence with publishers, and royalty receipts from some of Russell's published works. 2 4 B. Herder Book Co., 1926-1951 2 5 Bruce Publishing Co., 1933-1952 2 6 Catholic University and Trinity College, n.d. 2 7 Chats with Jesus, 1941-1948 2 8 Christ the Leader, n.d. 2 9 Christ the Leader Manuscript, 1937 2 10 Compiled References, n.d. 2 11 Jesus the Divine Teacher, 1941-1944 2 12 P.J. Kennedy and Sons Publishers, 1941-1953 2 13 Publication Correspondence, 1926-1953 Series 5: Clippings Scrapbook, n.d. (1 Box) This series consists of pages of a dissembled scrapbook that Russell kept of newspaper clippings on Religion, Education, and History that interested him. 3 1 Religion [1], n.d. 3 2 Religion [2], n.d. 3 3 History [1], n.d. 3 4 History [2], n.d. 3 5 History [3], n.d. 3 6 Education, n.d. Series 6: Photographs, 1936 (1 Box) This series consists of a single photograph of the Kerby-Russell extended family, taken in Elk Point, South Dakota, on August 2, 1936. 3 7 Family Portrait, 1936 |